Vaughan hits 1-7 to inspire Iveleary to victory

Cork minor Cathal Vaughan scored 1-7 as Iveleary claimed the Cork County U21BFC title in seeing off Kildorrery at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.

Beginning brightly, the Inchigeelagh side were 1-3 to 0-1 ahead after Vaughan converted a 12th-minute penalty, but their North Cork opponents began the second-half in excellent fashion and James O’Sullivan’s 42nd minute goal left that just a point between the sides, Iveleary leading by 1-7 to 1-6.

Crucially for them, the next score was a Vaughan free to provide a steadying effect, and with the Kildorrery momentum halted, they would score only once more as Iveleary pulled away impressively in the closing stages.

Though Vaughan took the scoring plaudits, it would be hugely unfair to cast him as the only star. Midfielder Shane Galvin was tireless, getting through a huge amount of work, while Cal McCarthy was a strong presence at centre-back and behind him the full-back line did its job effectively.

Apart from O’Sullivan, who had 1-1, Shane Landers with three points was the only other Kildorrery player to score more than once, and it was this lack of scoring power which was costly, as they competed well at midfield for long periods, and especially during the second-half purple patch.

They had left themselves with an uphill task from the start, however, for while Landers equalised David Hourihane’s opener for Iveleary, David Dineen and Vaughan opened up a two-point lead before Vaughan sent his penalty down the middle after Hourihane had been fouled.

Coming up to half-time, the lead was 1-5 to 0-1, and it should have been more but for wayward point attempts. James McEniry and David Kelly got late scores for Kildorrery to leave them just four behind at the whistle, however. While Vaughan and Denis O’Leary cancelled them out at the start of the second-half, two super Landers points were followed by a boomer from centre-back Cormac Ó Baoill, and then O’Sullivan latched onto a Landers pass before rifling a shot to the net and suddenly just a point separated the teams.

Vaughan extended Iveleary’s lead again and while O’Sullivan’s point kept Kildorrery in it, that was as close as they could come.

Iveleary reeled off all of the game’s final six points, Vaughan with three while Galvin got the score that his all-round performance deserved as they finished seven-point victors.